


Awoken

by Ginasfeather



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:42:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28559262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginasfeather/pseuds/Ginasfeather
Summary: In a world where Regina, instead of Mary Margaret, finds David in the forest on the night he woke up from his coma, the charming prince takes a liking to the woman who saved him from a freezing death.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Prince Charming | David Nolan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I had this idea and I couldn’t get it out of my mind, so it had to write it. I have about ten chapters planned for this story so if people are interested, I will keep writing them! Hope you enjoy and tell me what you think!

When she got the call that mr. Nolan was gone from the hospital and that dr. Whale had no idea how he could have awakened and much less walked right out of there after being in a coma for such a long time, Regina could guess what had happened. Her curse was weakening each day, and this was just another one of the side effects. _Of course, Charming had to have woken up._

When she asked if they had any idea where he had gone, and the doctor replied that the security cameras showed him walking right out the back door of the hospital and into the forest, Regina couldn’t believe her luck. For at that moment Regina herself was in the forest also, working on finding a spot for her plans to build a play castle for the children of Storybrooke. Regina had no doubt that Mary Margaret would soon hear about Mr. Nolan’s disappearance and would start to meddle and try to find him. That was the last thing that could happen, Regina decided, and so she went looking for him on her own. What she would do when she found him, she didn’t know yet. Maybe he needed a little help drowning in the river or falling on a sharp piece of stone, or maybe he just needed to be assisted back to the hospital. That all depended on how much he remembered, and if it could hurt Regina and her curse.

While she’d ordered dr. Whale to inform the Sheriff and start a search party in the west parts of the woods, near the exit where mr. Nolan had left the hospital, Regina herself headed toward the toll bridge. She figured that the idiot would, even unconsciously, be looking for his beloved Snow White, and wasn’t the t(r)oll bridge some kind of symbol for them?

Luckily for her, Regina hadn’t needed to walk far, as she arrived at her destination five minutes later. She looked around a bit, trying to see in the dark. The fact that she was out in a dark forest looking for Prince Charming was ridiculous enough, and therefor Regina would not resort to calling out for him. That would not have been necessary either, because not far from the riverbank, she saw him. He was laying on the ground, on his side. Blood was dripping down his forehead from a cut he probably sustained when he fell to the ground.

Regina walked to him and crouched next to him. Taking off her glove she felt under his jaw for a pulse. He was warm to the touch and a strong beating resonated from under her fingers. He was as alive as they came, it seemed. Regina sighed and wondered that to do. She needed him awake to be able to tell what he remembered, to see if he was a liability. So, she grabbed his shoulder and turned him on his back, his body now close enough to the water so that she could splash some in his face with her hand.

He reacted immediately by scrunching up his face, apparently not liking the cold water. So, she splashed him some more, impatient for him to wake up already. He grunted and then coughed, and finally opened his eyes. They were disoriented and wide, and Regina took some pleasure in seeing him confused like this. Confused seemed to be the permanent look on his face back in the Enchanted Forest, too, and she’d always mocked him for it in her head.

Finally, his eyes landed on hers, and this was the moment of truth. Would Prince Charming have awoken remembering everything, getting ready for a fight right here and right now, or would David Nolan have woken up from his coma, oblivious to who she was, except for maybe her title as Madam Mayor?

In the seconds that followed him looking at her, no recognition befell his face. No anger, either. Regina thanked the gods that she didn’t have to try to fight this man right now, without her magic, and put on a (hopefully) reassuring smile and asked him: “How are you feeling?”

His eyes were still on hers, and his brows furrowed even more. “Who are you?” He asked. Before Regina could respond, however, he said: “Wait, who am I? Where am I?” He brought his left hand to his forehead which must have been hurting him, and when it came back smeared with blood, he added: “Why am I bleeding?”

Regina grabbed his right hand with her left and squeezed it to try to reassure him. “You’re in the forest and I think you had a bit of a fall, that’s why you’re bleeding. You don’t remember it?”

He was searching her eyes as if they would give him all the answers in the world and replied: “I don’t remember _anything_.”

This surprised Regina, because she would have thought that he’d wake up with cursed memories of his life as David Nolan. What those memories would have been, Regina didn’t know, but she’d assumed that he would have memories of a perfectly dull life like everyone else in Storybrooke.

“It’s going to be alright,” she told him, and when she went to take her hand from his to grab her phone from her pocket, she felt him tightening his hold on her. So, using her other hand, she managed to fish her phone from her pocket and called Graham. Now that she knew Charming didn’t remember anything from the Enchanted Forest, it was safe for him to come and help them get back to the hospital.

When she’d given Graham their location, she turned back to the man still lying on the ground. “The Sheriff is on his way, and he’ll help you back to the hospital.” She told him.

Charming— _David_ , Regina reminded herself—finally let go of her hand and sat up. “Back to the hospital? I thought you said I hurt myself here in the forest?”

Right. He still didn’t know what’d happened and why he’d been in the forest in the first place. “Ah, Mr. Nolan, I’m afraid you were in the hospital before you made your way out here and,” she motioned to the ground a bit awkwardly, “ended up on the forest ground.” This seemed to only confuse the man further. So, she put it bluntly: “You were in a coma.”

His eyes widened almost comically and while he processed this information, Regina got up from her crouched position next to him and held her hand out in an offer to help him up. “The doctors at the hospital will be able to explain it to you better,” she said when he made no move to get up from the ground.

David looked up and took her hand, getting up and standing upright for the second time in 28 years. He stood with such ease that you’d never think it had been that long. And physically, that was probably true, because the curse did stop time for 28 years. That was probably the reason why his wet shirt clung to a still impressively sculpted chest and arms. Knowing not to take anything for granted, Regina admired that view for a quick second.

“You didn’t answer my question earlier,” David said. “Who are you? What’s your name?” He didn’t let go of her hand, again, and Regina thought that must be a side effect from 28 years without any human touch. Though it didn’t exactly annoy her, she also couldn’t appreciate it.

“My name is Regina Mills, and I’m the mayor of this town.” She responded. She could hear Graham pulling up not far from them on the dirt road and turned to look in that direction.

“Madam Mayor! How did you find him? I thought you said to search the west parts of the woods.” Graham called in his thick accent. Inside, Regina rolled her eyes. On the outside, she put on a composed face and responded: “I did say that. I was taking a walk in the forest and found Mr. Nolan by accident. He strayed a bit further than we thought he would have.”

Graham looked a little confused as to why she’d be taking a walk in the dark forest but was clever enough not to mention it. He focused his attention on Mr. Nolan and started asking him some questions on how he was feeling and why he’d walked out of the hospital and into the forest.

While David was explaining how _he didn’t know how or why he got there_ , Regina switched her gaze back from the Sheriff to him. She’d never really looked at the man. She hated him just out of principal, for he was Snow White’s true love. She hadn’t ever considered him for more than a split second, but now that she was looking at him, she must admit that she saw the appeal. He was a big man, a good head taller than her, and muscular too. Broad shoulders and chest which sloped down into a narrower waist. Not to mention those arms. Regina had always loved a man –or a woman—with defined arms.

She remembered that time in the Enchanted Forest she tried to seduce him once, when she captured him and put him in one of her cells. But back then she hadn’t really done it because she wanted _him_ per say, she just wanted to screw Snow White over by screwing her boyfriend.

Regina was pulled out of her memory and her quiet appreciation of the man before her by the tightening of his hand around hers. She looked down to their still joined hands and tuned into the conversation again. It seemed Graham was telling David about various medical conditions he thought could have invoked the man’s memory loss, each one sounding scarier to David than the previous, Regina assumed. 

“Why don’t we let a _doctor_ asses Mr. Nolan, Sheriff, and you just worry about getting our patient back to the hospital safely.” She said curtly. She then detangled her hand from Charming’s and made her way to the Sheriff’s car assuming they would follow her, as they did.

The car ride was mostly silent as Regina sat in the passenger seat while David was in the back. She couldn’t see him, but she assumed he was thinking about or even freaking out about not remembering any of his life. She would feel sorry if he wasn’t Snow’s husband. Curse or no curse and memories or no memories, he was still the same man who loved Snow White and Regina was good at holding grudges. Even if it was against an extremely attractive specimen of a man.

When they arrived at the hospital, dr. Whale and a few nurses were waiting outside for them with a gurney. They apparently expected a weak man to be delivered to them, but David seemed absolutely fine as he got out of the car himself and refused to lie down on the gurney. As the hospital staff urged him to come with them as Regina stood by the Sheriff’s car intending to just go home after they took him inside, David turned his head and searched for something in the small crowd of people who had surrounded them since they arrived there. “Is Regina coming, too?” He asked the nurse who was guiding him inside by the elbow, as if he needed the support. She seemed startled at the mention of Regina and didn’t respond to him. Probably too scared of the Mayor to ask her.

When he didn’t get a response from her, David turned back around fully and walked back to the car. Regina, who hadn’t heard his inquiry about her, was surprised when he walked back and stood in front of her. Leaning against the car as she was, he now really towered over her and she had to lift her head up to look at him. “What is it, Mr. Nolan?” She asked in her best fake sympathetic voice.

“Regina, uhm,” he looked a bit uncomfortable, but he did hold her eyes, “are you coming inside, too?” He asked.

At first Regina was startled at the use of her first name, as she was usually addressed as Madame Mayor or Mayor Mills, and then even more surprised at his question for her to come with him. When was the last time anyone wanted her with them when they felt afraid or overwhelmed? Aside from Henry of course, who had been shutting her out for the last few months, too.

“I was actually planning on going home to my son,” she started to respond, but when his face fell at her rejection, she changed her mind. “But I can make a call for someone to watch him. Just go on inside and let the doctors take a look at you, and I’ll be right there,” she smiled reassuringly. She didn’t really know what had come over her, trading time with Henry for time at the hospital with _Prince Charming_ of all people. Maybe it was the fact that Henry would most likely be in his room avoiding her, while this man actually wanted her company, even if she hated him. Or maybe she just wanted to make sure that Mary Margaret wouldn’t come over and interfere. Regina really needed a plan to make sure she and the Prince wouldn’t live happily ever after under her dark curse.

David seemed relieved at her answer and finally followed the doctor and nurses inside.

David wasn’t even inside yet before Regina felt a breath on her cheek and a hand on her hip. She startled and realized it was the Sheriff behind her. Ever since time had started moving again, he had been taking serious liberties. It seemed like, now that he didn’t forget their casual hookups every now and then because of the curse, he thought they were in some sort of relationship where he could just kiss her or touch her like this whenever he pleased. Well, he was wrong. He was a good fuck every now and then, but when he was not getting her off, or was well on his way to doing just that, he had no rights to touch her in any way. So, she told him in a dark voice: “I would hold my hands to myself if I were you, unless you want to lose them.”

He rounded her and looked at her confusedly, his hand still heavy on her body. She looked down at it with annoyance, and when he saw the look on her face, he quickly retreated his wandering limb. “As you heard, I have to get inside to Mr. Nolan. I don’t have time for you to fuck me right now, Sheriff. And when you’re not doing just that, you have no right to touch me, or kiss me, or even look at me in any other way than a Sheriff should look at his boss—with respect. Because we,” she enunciated this by pointing back and forth between them with a finger, “are not in any kind of relationship.” She looked at him sternly for a moment. “I thought you knew that.”

She watched Graham splutter for a moment before sidestepping him and walking towards the building. Now that that was hopefully taken care of, she could get on with her business and call for someone to go watch over Henry. Kathryn would probably be her first call, since they were friendly and would most likely come through for her.

After that was taken care of, Regina stepped up to the front desk and asked about Mr. Nolan’s whereabouts. “Are you his relative, ma’am?” asked the nurse behind the desk while not looking up from her computer.

Regina didn’t know what she’d just heard. Who was this woman to question her? She was the goddamned mayor of this town and if she wanted to visit a patient she was entitled to, even if she wasn’t a _family member_.

“What do you think? Hm?” The nurse now looked up from what she’d been doing, and Regina saw her eyes widen ever so slightly when the woman saw who she was dealing with. Seemed that she hadn’t recognized the Mayor’s voice. “I suggest you point me to his room now, unless you want to lose your job,” Regina demanded. “And that’s Mayor Mills, to you.” She added strictly.

“Uhm, of course, Mayor Mills. Let me just check right here,” the nurse said as she moved her attention back to the computer screen to search for David’s room number. Regina waited impatiently and shifted from one leg to the other. “Today, if you please.”

“Yes! I have it right here. Mr. Nolan’s in room… 111. Oh, and I see you’re also his emergency contact?” She looked up rather questionably.

Regina had almost forgotten about that. Of course, she was his emergency contact. She found the man on the side of the road years ago (she cursed him and made people believe she found him on the side of the road). No one knew who he was and the only reason he wasn’t a ‘John Doe’ was because he carried his wallet with his ID on the night she ‘found him’.

So, after a short pause, Regina answered: “Yes. I am.” Then she turned around, stalking away without a _thank you_ and on her way to see her nemesis’s husband.

When she walked into the room, the doctors had seemingly finished their physical exam on him, already. One part of her was happy for it to be done so soon, so that she could go home soon. Another part was disappointed she wasn’t there for the exam because she saw that it had involved a clean shirt for him. Too bad she missed the no doubt spectacular view that the switching of those shirts, and the bare chest during that switch, had brought.

Regina knocked on the open door to announce her arrival and put on a friendly smile when David looked her way. He smiled instantly when he saw her. A little taken aback by this, Regina walked into the room and stood at the foot of his bed. “How are you?”

“Doctors say I’m perfectly fine, right?” He broke eye contact with her to look at the assembly of doctors still standing in the room.

Dr. Whale was the one to answer him: “It’s miraculous. After such a long time in a coma, he is in perfect health. Would be ready to get out of here tonight, if he had a place to go.”

Regina rose a brow in surprise but stayed otherwise silent for a second. “Doesn’t he get some sort of benefit from the town, Madame Mayor?”

She thought about this for a moment. The people of Storybrooke never got seriously ill and were never fired. After all, they lived the same day over and over, until recently. She’d never had to deal with signing for government benefit for people who lost their jobs or anything like that. But of course, David would get money to compensate for him not having a job. And on top of that, some to cover his medical expenses. “Yes, he does. I’ll look into it tomorrow to see to it that you can rent a room somewhere as fast as possible, David.” She smiled at him. “I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.”

He smiled a toothy smile back at her, “Thanks.”

“Well, I’ll leave you for tonight,” Dr. Whale said. “A nurse will be in soon to get you something to eat, Mr. Nolan. You must be hungry?”

David nodded, still looking at Regina, “starving.”

After the doctors had left the room, David motioned to the chair at his bedside and Regina hesitated before sitting down next to him. Was she really sitting at this man’s bedside? To comfort him? It appeared so.

“Thank you, for saving me,” he said when she sat down, he looked at her a little shyly now.”

“It was no problem, David. I just… stumbled upon you.” She laid her hand on his nearest arm tentatively. “I couldn’t just leave you lying there, now could I?”

David laughed a little and then quieted down. “So, do you know who I am? Did we know each other?”

Regina didn’t really know how to respond to this, she would’ve thought that Whale would have explained to him that he was basically a John Doe. No one knew him. Now _she_ had to be the one to tell him he had no family? No friends? Not in this realm, anyways. “No, we didn’t know each other. David, didn’t Dr. Whale tell you anything?”

“…no?”

Regina sighed. She slipped her hand that was on his arm down to take hold of his hand. He’d probably need the support after she told him what she needed to. “When you were found, unconscious, and brought to the hospital, there was no one with you.” She squeezed his hand a little in a rather fake show of support. Seeing him shocked at being all alone in the world would surely bring her great happiness, she thought. “And no one came for you, after. No one’s claimed you as their family. No one knows you. The only reason we even know your name, is because you were carrying your wallet on the night you were found and checked it on your ID.”

She looked at him sorrowfully and waited for his reaction. He was stunned. He didn’t say anything for a while, but his grip on her hand intensified. “So, I have no home? No family?” He asked.

“Not that we know of.”

David sighed deeply and looked down at their joined hands. Regina ran a comforting thumb over the skin of his hand. Seeing him look so defeated did not feel good to Regina like she had expected it to. She wasn’t overrun with sympathy, either, but she couldn’t say that she was triumphant about this man’s sadness. Why that was, she didn’t know.

That moment, a nurse with a plate of food came in, and Regina was saved from having to comfort this man more. She let go of his hand to let him accept his food and sat back in her chair. David began eating slowly, lost in his thoughts after what she’d just told him. All of a sudden, he spoke.

“It’s getting late. If you need to go, I understand. I assume, unlike me, you do have a life and a family.” He smiled a little sadly. Why this man who’d just woken from a coma with no memories would think of her and her life that she might need to get back to, she didn’t understand. Maybe it was the goodness inside of him. He was a hero, after all.

“Yes, I should be getting home.” Regina said and stood up from her chair to stand beside him. She tilted her head a little and looked at him. “I’ll make sure you have some money to rent a room at the bed and breakfast tomorrow, so you can leave here. I’ll send someone to take you there.”

“Thanks, Regina,” David smiled a little, but he looked really out of it. That’s what waking up with no memories and no one to help you remember your life will do to you, Regina considered.

“I wish you all the best, Mr. Nolan, and I’m sure I’ll see you around.” Then she turned on her heels and made her way out of the hospital and back home. The little pang of sympathy she felt at the man’s defeated look would stay unaddressed and ignored.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, here I am with another chapter of this story. I was planning on updating it weekly, but then I discovered a mistake in the previous chapter I uploaded. The first paragraph was missing! I've fixed it, and decided to just post this chapter that I already had written so I could tell the people who read the first chapter already: sorry if the story seemed to begin at a weird place, it was not supposed to, lol. Anyway, thank you to Bre for your comment and to the people who left kudos, it really inspired me to continue this story!

Two days passed since Regina had found Prince Charming near the riverbank in the forest and woke him up with a splash of cold water. She hadn't seen him since. She'd sent her assistant over to help David find his way to Granny's yesterday, and heard he settled in well. Or, as well as to be expected.

Right now, Regina sat at her desk trying to get some work done. The result of the restarting of time had brought her a lot of extra work. All of a sudden, propositions that needed to be checked within a couple weeks, _needed to be checked within a couple weeks._ She used to just push ahead a lot of the work that needed to be done, because people would forget what they'd asked for the day after they'd asked for it. None of that anymore, though. Grumpy —or rather, Leroy— had come by three times this week to see if she had gotten to his proposal on another liquor store in town, already. As if she was ever approving that.

Just as she was starting to get her focus, and actually get something done today, she heard the intercom creaking. Alerting her of the fact that her assistant would soon be screeching something through it. She lifted her head to look toward the device, and soon enough she heard Ms. Robertson, loud and clear. "Madam Mayor, a Mr. Nolan is here to see you. Should I let him in? He doesn't have an appointment."

Regina rolled her eyes. She _knew_ David didn't have an appointment, they'd gone over her meetings of the day together, this morning. "That's okay, let him in." She wondered why he was visiting her. Did he not agree with the amount of benefit she'd set for him? The only reason people ever visited her at her office was to yammer to her about something they didn't agree with.

Before long, she heard her office door open and looked up to see David approaching her. He smiled at her and removed his hand from where it'd been hiding behind his back to reveal an arrangement of flowers. Roses, to be exact. _So he managed to find his way around town enough to stumble upon Game of Thorns._

Regina stood up and rounded her desk, so she was leaning back against it while he stilled in front of her. "Why, hello David. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked in a polite tone, her eyes looking him over.

He looked at her with shining eyes. What he had to be happy about, she didn't know, but Regina noticed that he did look it. "Well, I wanted to come see you. To say thank you… for saving me. Again," he added while putting his free hand in his neck in a nervous gesture. Then he thrust the bouquet of roses, colored in a mix of pink, red and white, at her with the other. So, he wasn't here to complain about money. Interesting.

Regina smiled coyly and asked: "for me?" David nodded and she took the bouquet from him. "Thank you. You really didn't have to get me anything, and you already thanked me. There was no need." She appreciated the thought, anyways. When was the last time someone had brought her flowers? Regina couldn't remember.

"Well, I feel like you saving my life deserves a lot more than a few roses and a 'thank you,' but that's all I got," David chuckled. He put his hands in his jeans pockets and added: "and maybe I just wanted to pay you a visit."

Regina pursed her lips as she saw David avert his eyes. Maybe the answer to keeping him and Snow apart, was right here in front of her. She didn't know if she wanted to go down that path, though. "Well, I appreciate it, David. I love the roses." She brought them up to her nose to smell them but didn't smell anything. She always read that in books and saw it in movies, it was even a proverb; to smell like the roses. But Regina had never actually smelled a rose, no matter how deep she tried to put her nose in one.

"I'm glad," he said as he looked around her office for a bit. Regina took that time to lay the roses on her desk to be put in a vase later and sat down in her chair again.

"How have you been?" She asked him and he sat down in front of her. Apparently, this was not a short visit, just dropping off his gift and leaving. No, he was seating himself. Not that Regina really minded the company.

"I've been walking around town, kind of finding my way around. I saw there's a vacancy at the shelter, so maybe I'll apply for a job there," he answered while settling his gaze back on her. His eyes flitted down for a moment and Regina smirked when she remembered what she'd chosen to wear this morning. A black and blue dress with quite the plunging neckline. There was a piece of fabric fastened right at the front of her neck, though, almost like a collar.

"I'm glad you're settling in okay." She commented and shifted forward in her seat. "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to find your way around town, but clearly I shouldn't have worried. It's a small town after all." Total lie. To say she hadn't had a second thought about the man since she left him at the hospital two days ago, would be untrue, but she hadn't been _worried_ about him either.

David nodded and shifted in his seat. "So, how are you, Regina?"

A little surprised by this inquiry, Regina's eyes flitted between his. Then she licked her lips before answering. "I'm fine. Just the usual business, for me. Remember, I'm not the one just out of the hospital," she joked. Since when did Regina joke?

The Prince chuckled and agreed, "no, you're not." He locked eyes with her for a moment and started: "it's just…" Then, the happy aura she'd seen around David when he first entered the room seemed to disappear. "You're the only person I know in this town. In the whole world, really."

Regina opened her mouth to respond but before she could, he was already adding: "well, I don't even really know you, either. But, you woke me up and you were so nice to come see me at the hospital. And for some reason, I feel like we've known each other for a long time. Like I didn't just meet you yesterday."

He wasn't wrong there. They _had_ known each other for years. Although, if he actually remembered those years, he wouldn't be bringing her flowers and asking her how she's doing. She considered her reply and eventually said: "maybe, in another life, we did know each other."

David smiled a little and looked down at his hands. "Maybe. I just feel so unsettled. So… alone."

Damn this man for making her feel sorry for him. He was Snow White's prince for god's sake, he deserved all the misery he got. All the loneliness he had to deal with, he earned. But this man in front of her reminded her nothing of the man she'd encountered a few times in the Enchanted Forest. No, this was David Nolan. Not Prince Charming.

"I'm sorry, David. I wish I could do more to help you," she told him sympathetically. She didn't quite know if this was the truth. Did she really wish to help this man?

"Thanks, Regina." There he went with her first name again. He probably hadn't even realized the townspeople always called her 'Madame Mayor,' and she wasn't going to point it out to him. She kind of liked hearing someone use her given name again. On top of that, she'd strayed from her usual formalities, too, and called him by his first name also.

David stood up and took a step backwards, toward the door. "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it," he said motioning to the mess of paperwork on her desk.

Seeing him turn towards the exit, Regina hesitated before calling him. "David! Wait," she grabbed a post-it, a sticky piece of paper that she'd found to be very convenient when she'd first arrived in this world. On it, she wrote her cell phone number. "Here," she stood up and held the piece of paper out in front her for him to take. "I'm sure Granny will let you use the Diner's phone. Call me, if you need… anything."

David stepped back up to the desk and extended his hand to take the note from hers. Their hands brushed and Regina couldn't help but to think of the cliché in all this. A man who came to her office to bring her flowers, now the brushing of hands while they exchange phone numbers. It's sickening, really. Or it should be. All that Regina felt in that moment, though, was not disgust but rather a warmerbfeeling toward David.

When David thanked her again and turned to leave, this time Regina let him. She watched him walk away for a few moments, then went back to work.

That evening Regina got a call. She was in the kitchen, busy doing dishes after dinner with her son. Henry had been spending so much time with Ms. Swan lately, and the only times she actually saw him was during meals. Breakfast and dinner were the times where Henry seemingly _really_ couldn't escape her company. The boy was apparently smart enough not to starve to death. But after dinner was over, he had hightailed it back to his room for the night, leaving Regina alone downstairs again.

So, when her phone rang, Regina was startled. Really, the only times she was called on her personal phone was for a town emergency outside of office hours. Normally people just called her at town hall.

She wiped her hands on a dish towel to dry them and picked her phone up from where it laid on the kitchen counter. She didn't recognize the number. Not that that meant much, though. She never made it a point to add all the Storybrooke idiots to her contact list and less of all, learn their numbers from memory.

"This is Mayor Mills," she barked into the device when she picked it up. She was in no mood. After another failed attempt to get her son to actually talk to her again this evening, she didn't feel like dealing with some petty crisis someone needed her help with. If it was the Sheriff calling, she might even tell him to leave whatever he was up to and come to the mansion for a little rendez-vous.

"Regina? Hi, it's David. Am I bothering you? Sorry to call so late. I shouldn't have…"

Regina closed her eyes when she heard who was on the phone and sighed. When she gave him her phone number, she actually didn't expect him to call her _that same night._ At least, there was probably no emergency and she didn't have to go back to work. "Oh, David. I was just doing the dishes. What can I help you with?"

"You were busy. Of course… It's nothing important, really. I should just let you get back to it."

If there was one thing that annoyed Regina, it was this backtracking. He'd already called her, why not just say what he wanted to say? Handsome as he may be, he didn't have much wits about him. "It's okay. What is it?" Regina asked in a tone as polite as she could manage.

"Well, I went by the shelter earlier today to see about that job, but they don't want to hire someone who just came home from such a long visit to the hospital. Something about getting sick again and then them having to cover my pay even though I'm not at work." He said. "So, I thought, maybe if the mayor could kindly attest to the owner of the shelter that I'm perfectly alright to go to work, they might give me a chance."

Ah, so that's what this was about. Why didn't he just go to Dr. Whale for a declaration of good health? He was the professional, after all. Even if he got his doctor's degree from a curse. She didn't mention this when she answered him, though. "Sure, David. I'll talk to Mr. Clarke tomorrow. I'm sure that a, _kind_ , nudge in the right direction will have him hiring you in no time." Truth be told she would simply call that dwarf and threaten to shut down his business if he didn't hire Mr. Nolan.

She heard David release a breath from his side of the call and remembered that this must have been a little scary for him. Sure, he didn't seem intimidated at all of her persona the few times she's seen him, but this was kind of a big favor to ask someone you just met. She respected him for doing it, anyways. Nobody got anywhere in this world, or any other world, without looking out for themselves. Boy, had she learned that lesson.

"Thank you, Regina. I really appreciate it. Sitting in my room at the diner by myself all day isn't the best way to adapt and get involved in this town."

Regina hummed, agreeing with him. She was curious about one thing, though. Had that idiot of a stepdaughter of hers sought contact with him, yet? She'd probably found out that he was missing from the hospital when she went to read to the coma patient last night, like she did every other day. So, she decided to fish around a little, asking: "so, have you met some new people yet? Starting to make friends, maybe?"

David told her that he'd spoken to a few people in the streets, mostly curious townspeople who didn't recognize him like they did every other person in this town. He'd also had friendly conversation with the Diner waitress, Ruby, but that was about it.

Relieved to hear no mention of a short haired schoolteacher harassing him, Regina assured him that he would be making friends in no time. "You're a very likeable person David, I'm sure you'll make some friends when you get to know more people."

David chuckled and thanked her, wishing her a good rest of the evening and letting her go.

Everything was going perfectly up until now. The Prince had awoken without his Enchanted Forest memories, there was no mention of Snow White anywhere near him, and to top it all off; he seemed rather taken with Regina herself. It would be the ultimate revenge to take the Princess's true love for herself. Even if Regina's weakening curse did break, she would have torn the perfect family apart. The question remained: does she go through with it?

Over the next few days, Regina hadn't made a decision on her David predicament yet. The thing was, David Nolan seemed such a different person from Prince Charming, she felt bad deceiving him. When she felt the apprehension inside herself the first time, she almost couldn't believe it. Why had she gone so soft? Maybe all these years without killing people and loving her son had changed her a little. She didn't know if she wanted that change to stand in the way of her revenge on Snow, though.

The other thing that was happening, was a lingering David Nolan. He seemed to be everywhere Regina went. When she went shopping, David was at the supermarket. When she decided to walk to work instead of driving, David was right there walking to the shelter on his way to his own job. These were mere coincidences.

Other times, though, were not so coincidental. David would call her, with a random question about his partial benefit now that he was working part time, or he would ask her if she's like to adopt one of the pets he looked after at the shelter; the answer was obviously no. Then there was the time where he had been waiting by the entrance of Town Hall when she finished work and walked with her on her way home. She hadn't asked why he'd waited for her, and he didn't say anything, either. He was easy to talk to, though, and there were no awkward silences to ruin the mood.

He reminded Regina of a duckling. When ducklings hatch, they imprint on the first living creature they see. They follow that creature around, assuming it's their mother. And most times, it is. The first thing David ever remembered seeing, was Regina. Now he followed her around and talked to her on every opportunity he got. He was like a duckling. And exactly like a duckling, Regina thought the only reason he must take such an interest in her, was _because_ she was the first thing he remembered. She probably seemed safe to him. If only he knew how much the opposite was true.

One thing was different, though. Regina was quite sure that David didn't think of her as a mother figure. He hadn't made any moves or made any comments, but she's seen his eyes wander her figure once in a while. Silently appreciating it. She wasn't sure he even knew he was doing it, but she was. If she decided to seduce him to break apart him and Snow for good, Regina was certain it would not be a difficult task.

There were quite some things to think about for Regina, and in the meantime she would just accept David's calls, humor him when they walked home together, and try not to feel the warmth inside of her at having a person wanting to spend so much time with her. That would all be over, should her curse ever fail her. Of that she was certain.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is maybe a bit of a boring chapter since it follows the show’s events but I hope you like it anyways. Let me know what you think :)

  
  


“Ouch!” Regina startled and brought a hand up to her head. She’d bumped it into the open hood of her car. In the middle of main street, it had broken down. First it had started sputtering wildly, and then it stopped driving altogether. Luckily Regina had parked it on the side of the road before that happened, or she would be standing in the middle of the road right now, blocking other traffic. The engine wouldn’t turn on again and Regina was left staring at the inside of her car, pretending to know what it was that she was looking for. The newly restarted ticking of time was even starting to catch up to her beloved Mercedes, it would seem.

“Regina!” She heard from a little ways away. She turned around and saw David heading her way. He looked good; wearing dark washed jeans and a button down flannel. The flannel wasn’t really Regina’s style, but somehow he made it work. He stilled next to her and put a hand on her elbow while asking her: “Are you okay?”

Smiling up at him a little Regina reassured him that “it’s fine. Just having a little car trouble. I’ll have to call a tow truck.”

David looked down into her car for a minute, and then probably realised that he, too, had no idea what he was looking for in there. “Well, can I give you a ride home? No need to stand here waiting for the truck to come and pick up your car, right?”

True to his reputation, he couldn’t help his need to save the day. Regina was no damsel in distress, though. Turning to him so they were standing centimeters apart from each other she told him: “There’s no need. I can walk home, it’s not a long way from here.” 

David looked into her Mercedes, seeing the bags of groceries she’d stuffed in there. A little embarrassed, Regina remembered the four cartons of ice cream she’d bought and hoped he didn’t see those. But, what could she say? It was buy one, get one free. He turned his gaze back on her and, ducking his head, said: “Well, unless you want a bag full of melted rocky road, you’re going to have to walk fast.” Regina chuckled and looked away from him for a moment. The hand that had already left her elbow earlier returned to it and squeezed a little. “Really, Regina, it’s no trouble. I insist, let me drive you and all of your ice cream home.” 

She blushed. Like a schoolgirl, Regina blushed. Regina doesn’t blush. Never does. Not since her mother killed Daniel and her heart became a little blackened thing who didn’t care about other people’s thoughts about her enough to blush when she felt self-conscious. God, what was this man doing to her. Ignoring her flush-ness, Regina thought about David’s offer and agreed to it with a, “well, if you insist.”

David smiled a little victorious smile and leaned forward. Regina held her breath and looked a little alarmed. What was he doing? For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Kiss her, here, in the middle of main street. But then he brought his hand up and to her face. Regina followed it with her eyes curiously and confusedly. When he moved his fingers over her cheek toward her ear, tucking a piece of hair behind it, her eyes snapped back to his. It was a sweet gesture, one that was foreign to Regina. Had someone ever done this for her before? Probably. Maybe her father, or Daniel. She couldn’t remember, though, with his thumb still on her cheek, warm and soft. It felt nice, very much so.

And then it was gone. And so was David. In a flash, he’d moved himself away from her and to her car, ducking down to get her groceries from the back of it. With a little bit of a befuddled mind, Regina helped him carry all her bags to his newly acquired truck. Standing beside it with the passenger door open, Regina wondered for a minute how she was going to get into that thing gracefully. She was wearing a dress, after all. 

Seeing David already climbing in on the driver’s side she figured she’d better hurry up before he saw her contemplate this and decide to come help her. She didn’t need him that close again, not so fast after she was just blushing and getting all dazed for him. So, throwing grace out the window, she put one foot in the car, one hand on the seat and the other on the passenger door, and hoisted herself up and into the truck. David laughed under his breath but because of the look Regina gave him, said nothing. 

She instructed him to her house while calling the car service to tell them to come pick up her car, explaining exactly where it was parked. Regina made it very clear that she expected it to be fixed as soon as possible, and preferably even sooner than that. When they promised that they would look at it today, Regina was satisfied and hung up. By that time they’d already reached her house and were parked out front. David was watching her home from his seat with an open mouth. Evidently, not having any memories didn’t stop a person from recognizing that this wasn’t just a house, it was a freaking mansion.

Like the gentleman he apparently was, David commented nothing but helped Regina carry her groceries inside. Once there, she instructed him to put the bags on the counter. “As you can see, I brought more than enough groceries,” she chuckled. “Why don’t you stay for dinner?” When Regina saw him hesitate, she added: “I’m making lasagna.” 

The decision to ask David to stay for dinner had come out of nowhere. There was no conscious choice to ask him. The words had left her mouth before she even knew she was forming them. She didn’t regret it, though. David had proven to be much more pleasant company than she had first thought. Her judgements of his character when she only saw him as Prince Charming had been wrong. The last few days Regina had even been looking forward to the times when he would show up unannounced again, seemingly coming up with more excuses to spend a few minutes with her.

That is why she was both disappointed and confused by the fact that he seemed to be thinking about her offer, instead of just accepting and saying ‘yes’. 

After a few more seconds of Regina smiling up at David from her place leaning against the kitchen counter, he smiled back at her and accepted, “I’d love to, if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble.”

Regina’s heart skipped a beat--what was that about?-- and she smiled wider. “I’m sure. I’m cooking for two either way, so there’s no trouble adding a third.” Thinking of cooking for three, Regina thought of Henry and remembered he must be coming home soon. Although he’d been distant lately, even more so since he brought Ms. Swan to town, Regina loved their dinners together. Any time spent with her son was held dear to her heart, and she’d learned to appreciate it even more so, now that she got less of his time.

She reached forward and asked for David’s coat, feeling his warm hands on her cold ones when he handed it to her. She walked back to the foyer to put the coat away, and saw something on her way back to the kitchen. A note on the dinner table. She hadn’t seen it the first time she’d walked past it, too preoccupied by the bags of groceries in her arms and David right behind her. Regina walked to the table slowly, already feeling a sense of dread. She didn’t know why, but she felt like this note, which must be from Henry because one, he was the only one who lived here with her and two, because MOM was written largely on the front of the piece of paper, held no good news. 

‘Mom, I’m having dinner with Emma.’

Regina bit the inside of her cheek, pouting her lips in a gesture that was mostly done to distract herself from the pain she felt inside when she read it. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she would not let them fall. Clearing her throat and holding her head high, she walked back into the kitchen to David, and threw the note on the kitchen island on her way back to the counter. She put on a smile, which was now rather fake. 

“It seems Henry is not joining us for dinner tonight, so it’s just the two of us,” Regina looked at David standing there, a little uncomfortable with his hands in his pockets. “I hope that’s okay.”

At this his hands left his pockets and, maybe just because he felt like it, or maybe because he could see her sadness at not having Henry with her tonight, he put one of his hands on her upper arm. “Of course that’s okay.” He smiled. “You know, since you’re my only friend, you’re automatically my best friend. Don’t best friends have dinner together alone, all the time?” 

Regina raised her brows for just a second, processing the best friend card. In a way, it was nice. She meant a lot to David, so much so that she was his best friend. But on the other hand, Regina didn’t want to be David’s best friend. If she was going through with her plan to seduce him to hurt Snow White, which seemed more alluring by the minute, he could absolutely not see her as a friend only. 

Regina showed her teeth in a polite smile and agreed. “Why don’t I show you the living room so you can make yourself comfortable while I prepare dinner?” 

________________

  
  


Of course, David had declined, insisting on staying in the kitchen with Regina to ‘help’ her. He had no clue what he was doing, though, and the one task Regina had given him which was to stir the sauce seemed to be too much for him. An hour, a few glasses of wine and a lot of spilled lasagna sauce later, dinner had finally been ready to be put into the oven.

Although doing it on her own would have been a lot faster, Regina had liked David’s help in the kitchen, and most of all his company while preparing dinner. 

Now, they sat at the dinner table, finished eating but not yet finished talking to each other. 

David leaned back into his chair, saying: “That was the best lasagna I’ve ever had.”

“Oh, please,” Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes at him playfully, “you don’t even remember the last time you had lasagna before this, never mind if it was better.” She grabbed her half empty wine glass and took a sip.

David huffed, “Still, I’m convinced this is the best I’ve ever had.” Then he smirked and added: “It must be because of my great stirring skills.” 

Regina gathered up their plates and stood up, nodding at him sarcastically. “Yes, that must be it. This wouldn’t have been the best dish you’ve ever had in your life because I’m such a great cook, but because you are such a good stirrer. Nevermind that you stirred half the sauce right out of the pan and onto my stove.” Then she walked away with their dirty dishes, swaying her hips a little as she went. 

Following, David pointed out that “I never said this was the best dish I’ve ever had, just the best lasagna. Don’t take too much credit.” 

Regina shook her head and, while he couldn’t see as he walked behind her, smiled. She put the dishes in the sink and turned to face David again, hands behind her on the counter top. “So, you do admit the lasagna was great because of my exceptional culinary skills, and not yours?” 

He smiled and handed her her wine glass, which he’d taken along with his back to the kitchen, “I do.” 

“Good.” 

David chuckled and put his own glass of wine on the counter, stepping up to it to begin doing the dishes. 

“David, what are you doing?” Regina asked as he began rinsing the dishes and grabbed for the soap. 

“Doing the dishes.”

“First, you save me from a car full of melted ice cream, and now you’re doing my dishes,” Regina murmured, “doesn’t seem right.” 

“Please, this has been a really hard time for me and you’ve been there every step of the way. It’s the least I could do.” He glanced sideways at her and smiled softly. 

“Well, I can’t help but feel responsible for you. Especially since I’ve found you, twice now.” Regina lied to him. She didn’t feel responsible for him, and she didn’t find him twice. Just the one time, a little over a week ago. 

“You know, I still haven’t heard the whole story.”

“About what?”

“About how you found me. The first time, that is.” 

“That’s probably because I’m the only one who knows it.” Regina chuckled and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the lie. She didn’t really want to lie to David. She liked him and contrary to popular belief, she didn’t like lying, especially not to the people she didn’t loathe. But, she had to. Regina looked up from where she’d been staring at the glass of wine still in her hand, and caught David’s eye. 

“I was working late,” she started, “it was a cold night, must have been ten below.” David now stopped the pretense of still doing the dishes, and turned so he was leaning against the counter just as Regina was, still holding her gaze. “And, on my drive home I realised I’d left my phone at the office. I remember thinking just to forget about it, I didn’t really need it, but... something inside me told me to turn around and go back.”

“That’s when you saw me?”

Regina nodded. “You were on the side of the road, unconscious, so cold you felt like ice,” Regina stopped here for a second, adding a pause for drama’s sake. “The doctor said if I’d found you ten minutes later, it would have been too late.” She shook her head a little, as if in disbelief. “Amazing, isn’t it? If I hadn’t forgotten my phone, I wouldn’t have been on the road, at that time.”

David, who had looked down somewhere during her story, looked back up. He frowned a little, scanning Regina’s face. “It’s almost... almost as if the universe wanted you to find me.”

This was her chance. Regina thought, as she looked at him, this was her chance to kiss this man, bring him to her bed and separate that flake of snow and her husband forever. She put her nice feelings for him aside, and separated from the part of herself that liked him in her life, the part that liked his company. If she was going through with this, she needed to see her goal of revenge clear before her. So, she did. 

Looking down at David’s lips, she leaned forward, intent on catching his lips with hers. Before she could do just that, though, he put his hand on her upper arm to stop her and leaned back. 

Regina looked back up to his eyes, confused. “I hope you didn’t get the wrong idea,” he told her. “This... is perfect, as it is.”

Backing up, Regina looked down, hiding her embarrassment. Or, trying to. She didn’t have much experience with rejection in this area, and she didn’t know how to act now that she was being rejected. “Oh, I’m sorry--” she started before David cut her off.

“You don’t need to apologize, Regina.”

“I just got caught up in the moment,” Regina lied. She bit her lip, a nervous gesture she thought she had under control but came back in situations like this, where she didn’t know how to act.

“It’s okay.” David said, backing up further, taking several steps toward the exit of the kitchen. “Maybe I should go. Thank you, again, for a lovely meal.”

Regina looked back up to him and smiled a hopefully convincing smile, “of course.”

When David left, her smile, which had been more like a grimace, fell. Regina felt conflicted. The moment David had pushed her away, she’d felt a stab to her chest. She told herself it was because of her plan for revenge falling through. Surely, she wasn’t feeling pain because David didn’t want her. Why should she care about what he thought about her? She didn’t. 

The only reason she might feel a little sad about his rejection, was because he had turned out to be decent company, which she wouldn’t be getting from him anymore. Clearly, after a situation like this, they couldn’t just go back to how things were before. Surely he wouldn’t want to spend time like that with her anymore, now that he thought she might want more from him, because of her approach.

Regina pushed herself from the kitchen counter and walked to the foyer, turning to face a mirror. She looked at herself, eyes red-rimmed and a sour expression on her face, and felt disgust. This is what she had come to? Playing house with Prince Charming? Being rejected by him? And feeling _sad_ about it?

Suddenly, anger took over her emotions and she threw the glass of wine that was still in her hand at the mirror, which positively shattered. 

She saw her distorted image in the remaining pieces of mirror that remained intact, and scoffed. What a failure.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
